City of Dubuque Announces Long-Term Closure of Major Road

The City of Dubuque announced that a portion of a major road will be closed for the long haul as construction is set to begin on the University of Dubuque's John and Alice Butler College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Back in December 2024, the University of Dubuque announced they were officially moving forward with the required approvals and programmatic accreditation process to open a four year medical school. In recognition of a $60 million gift from John and Alice Butler, one of the largest donations to UD in its 172-year- history, the new college will be named after the Butlers.

The center would be known as John and Alice Butler College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Dubuque. It would bring in-demand support to the physician workforce as well as provide an economic benefit to the region.

READ MORE: University of Dubuque Reveals Plans to Open New Medical School

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But before the center can be a bastion for learning, education, and care, it needs to be constructed, which means the City of Dubuque will be closing off a portion of Main Street till further notice.

Per a press release, the City revealed that the stretch of road from the intersection of Main Street/W. 5th Street to the edge of the 500 Main Street property will be closed. The street will close at 8am on Monday, September 15th, 2025, and is expected to remain closed through 2026. That is a significant amount of time.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of Main St. will be closed in this one-block area. The sidewalk on the west side of Main St. will remain open during the street closure. Vehicular traffic will be detoured to Iowa St. Motorists will need to follow the posted detour and/or use a different route during this time. This closure will also include the narrowing of the westbound lane on W. 5th St. between Main St. and Iowa St - per the City of Dubuque's press release

The City of Dubuque has a map of current closures and detours, and will presumably do the same for this upcoming closure once the barricades are in place and construction is rolling.

The proposed college of osteopathic medicine will expand UD's medical field offerings, as the school already offers academic healthcare programs, a master of science in physician assistant studies, and a bachelor of science in nursing.

The City of Dubuque also stated if you have questions regarding the forthcoming Main Street closure/detour, you can contact the City's Engineering Department at 563-589-4270.

Read more about the imminent and prolonged closure of Main Street in Dubuque on the City of Dubuque's website.